-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The `` official '' night set aside for ghosts and goblins is nearly here , but if you 're bewitched by the macabre and the supernatural , there are plenty of places that provide spooky sensations year-round . You wo n't need a costume to take in these attractions , but if you 're looking for ideas on what to wear on October 31 , you might find some inspiration from these historic -- and sometimes horrific -- destinations .

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Ohio 's unusual tourism trend

Anyone with a penchant for gloom and doom may want to head for Ohio . The state 's tourism department is promoting all things grim -- and it has nothing to do with Halloween .

`` These experiences are all genuine and originated due to someone 's desire to preserve the history , traditions and tools of the trade , '' says Tourism Director Pat Barker . That trade is the funeral home business . Highlights include historic hearses , celebrity death memorabilia and how-to lessons on embalming and burial .

The Peoples Mortuary Museum is part of a working mortuary in Marietta , Ohio , and it boasts a collection of classic hearses from past centuries , even a horse-drawn hearse from 1895 . Staff members double as tour guides to educate the public on the post-death process . Funeral transportation is also in the spotlight at the William Lafferty Memorial Funeral and Carriage Collection in West Union , Ohio , with vehicles dating back to 1848 . The antiques were collected during the four generations that the Lafferty family served in the Ohio funeral business .

The Famous Endings Funeral Collection in Dover , Ohio , is a must-see for history buffs curious about celebrity deaths . Inside you 'll find programs from the farewell ceremonies of everyone from Ronald Reagan to Evel Knievel to George Burns . There 's the original temporary crypt marker for Humphrey Bogart and a memorial card from Farrah Fawcett 's funeral . This quirky collection even has a Facebook page .

If you want to spend the night in the company of such unusual history , check in at the Sturgis House , a funeral parlor turned bed and breakfast in East Liverpool , Ohio . The death mask for Charles Arthur `` Pretty Boy '' Floyd , who was Public Enemy No. 1 in 1934 , hangs above the washing machine in the downstairs laundry room . It 's just steps away from the embalming equipment that remains on display as an informal mortuary museum .

Voodoo culture in New Orleans

Novelist Anne Rice was born here and her popular tales often include spirited descriptions of her hometown . She 's not the only one to imagine New Orleans as vampire-friendly : The supernatural side of the Big Easy is easy to find on your own or with the help of a professional guide . Several companies offer tours specializing in cemeteries , voodoo or the city 's impressive array of stores selling all things eerie such as custom-blended potions , Tarot cards and authentic voodoo dolls .

West Africans brought the voodoo way of life to New Orleans in the 1700s , and the religion flourished in the 19th century . Delve into its many layers at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum , where admission is $ 5 for adults .

Public rituals were once performed in Congo Square , an open space inside Louis Armstrong Park just north of the French Quarter , and even today you can find a voodoo spiritual temple nearby where a modern-day priestess performs rituals .

Perhaps the most popular voodoo-related attraction sought by history-loving tourists of all kinds is the marked tomb of Marie Laveau , the city 's famous `` Voodoo Queen . '' On any given day you 'll find tourists in spiritual meditation or simply gawking at all the graffiti and triple-X markings on her tall white tomb inside the walls of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 . Each set of X 's represents someone making a request in the fashion of an age-old voodoo ritual .

There 's also a cornucopia of New Orleans hotels where the paranormal is considered normal , such as the Monteleone , where you can stay in a haunted room or ride an elevator that seems to have a mind of its own . In 2003 , a team of paranormal researchers stayed in the hotel and allegedly confirmed contact with more than a dozen spirits .

The ghost of a confederate soldier is said to be an occasional guest at the newly opened Audubon Cottages ; rumor has it he enjoys relaxing on the balcony of cottage No. 4 , overlooking the pool .

Chills in Charleston , South Carolina

Chilling attractions in this historic port city include Civil War relics such as bloodied uniforms , an amputation kit and plenty of deadly weapons . It 's all on permanent display at The Charleston Museum .

Imagine the fear of James Wiley Gibson , shot and killed by a sniper during the Battle of Secessionville . His uniform is part of the ongoing exhibit , complete with a fabric tear from the bullet 's deadly path . If that does n't make you shudder , have a look at the primitive tools and instruments of the Civil War amputation kit .

Be sure to stop by the Charleston Library Society , a downtown cultural hot spot where you 're likely to find someone who 's an expert on the city 's darker side . If you 're there in October , have a glance at the bloodstained manuscript of Henry Timrod . Known as the poet laureate of the Confederacy , this Charleston native produced passionate prose until his death in 1867 . His final project was splattered with blood coughed up from the tuberculosis that killed him -- and the morbid page is on display every Halloween season .

The spirits of upstate New York

Fall paints the landscape of upstate New York with colors that lure leaf-peepers from around the world , but this vacation region is also home to a historic fictional intrigue . Thirty miles north of New York City , you 'll find Sleepy Hollow , a village made famous by the legend that bears its name .

Washington Irving 's classic story about a headless horseman was published in 1820 . Various characters and scenes from the legend are said to be based on the people and places of Sleepy Hollow , such as the burial ground at the Old Dutch Church . Irving attended services at the Old Dutch Church as a child , and the author is buried in the adjacent Sleepy Hollow Cemetery -LRB- others buried there include Andrew Carnegie and Elizabeth Arden -RRB- . Guided walking and evening lantern tours are offered . If you 're lucky , you 'll spot the town 's own resident headless horseman .

The area makes for a literary scavenger hunt for those obsessed with the frightful folktale , and Irving 's former home , Sunnyside , also hosts `` Legend Weekends '' where musicians , magicians and puppeteers entertain and encourage continued awe for the author . Edgar Allen Poe also lived near Sleepy Hollow , and readings of his works often take place at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery .

Where the witches were : Salem , Massachusetts

A short drive north from Boston leads to `` The Witch City '' of Salem , where witch-related tourism is the lifeblood of the economy . The Salem Witch Museum takes visitors back to the summer of 1692 and the infamous trials that resulted in the execution of 20 people accused of devil-inspired activity . The town goes all out in October with its weeks-long lineup of Haunted Happenings .

Visitors serious about studying this chapter of history can use the museum as an educational starting point , then spend hours , days or weeks traveling through the region touring the homes , historic markers , grave sites and other relics related to witchcraft hysteria . The museum can provide a map and a list of more than 30 sites in the area .

To help put you in the right mindset for a modern-day witch-hunt , check out the museum 's blog at www.salemwitchmuseum.com/blog for more information , including suggestions for pre-arrival reading .

Eerie traditions in Edinburgh , Scotland

An international witch hunt might lead you to Scotland , where the North Berwick Witch Trials happened in 1590-1592 , some 20 miles from the capital of Edinburgh . The gothic architecture and peculiar history of the Scottish capital add to the city 's allure as a bewitching destination . Grave robbers are a notorious part of Edinburgh history and urban legend tells morbid tales of plague victims left to die in underground streets .

Even luxury respects the role of witches and the supernatural : October guests at the prestigious Balmoral Hotel can enjoy the perk of Halloween Afternoon Tea , but the concierge staff says the demand for tours of the eerie and bloodcurdling is high year-round .

The top draws include a castle dungeon attraction featuring actors and thrill rides and the Real Mary King 's Close , a series of underground lanes and housing spaces located beneath the Royal Mile that lend themselves to visions of murder and disease . The underground area will host Dark Truth Tours from October 26-31 .

Any time of year you might find a library reading , a festival or an underground tour honoring Edinburgh 's darker side . If you 're one to study the history of Halloween itself , you 'll find plenty of claims that the tradition of All Hallow 's Eve has Scottish roots .

Finding traditional haunts

From scream parks to corn mazes to haunted homes , sites that evoke ghoulish pleasures are so popular that the Haunted Attraction Association was formed in 2010 , to promote the top haunted places around the world , a $ 300 million industry . If you want to find a scary site in a specific area , the HAA website has a `` Haunt Finder '' and you can also check out past winners of the organization 's annual Oscare Awards .

What are your favorite Halloween haunts ?

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Explore underground streets in Edinburgh , Scotland , with Dark Truth Tours

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Make a stop in New Orleans for a primer on all things voodoo

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Visit Sleepy Hollow for a look at the origins of that chilling legend